Disability Activists Forum, WB (DAF), founded in 1997, is a state level network of about twenty-five organizations working with and for persons with disabilities, parents’ associations and individual members from West Bengal. The forum is committed to raise public awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities and advocate for their respectful inclusion in access to all basic rights and entitlements. It is a state level network of around 25 organizations across the state. DAF keeps close touch with other state level and national level network and advocacy group. The members are organizations working for the people with disability, parents’ organizations, individual with disability and well-wishers.
- The forum is working to generate public awareness since 1997
- It works as a pressure group and advocates for the execution of the rights, entitlements and provisions for the persons with disability
- It also works to make the world a habitable place for people with or without special needsconsider each member of the society as an important individual
People living with disabilities face many barriers in many key aspects of society. By and large PWDs are further disabled through unequal treatment and denial of basic rights by the broader society. There is a huge gap in terms of services available for PWDs in the country. Issues vary from inaccessible buildings to negative/stereotypical attitudes, lack of proper communication systems for people with hearing/speech impairment or intellectual disability, inaccessible transport systems etc.Many people with disabilities do not have equal access to health care, education, and employment opportunities, do not receive the disability-related services that they require, and experience exclusion from everyday life activities, which includes social and political participation. To add to that the abuse & violence on PWDs including sexual violence on women & girls with disabilities is a huge issue. All kinds of violence – physical, financial, social and psychological torture and discrimination that the disabled persons are victims of are unbelievable. The various reports of atrocities coming from different homes of this state are quite disconcerting while these places are supposed to be safe places for children & persons with disabilities.
To protest against this inequality, discriminations, abuse and violence and for Equal rights & opportunities for Persons with Disabilities,Disability Activists’ Forum organised “Silent Protest”at Gariahat More on 3rd December, 2020which is observed as World Disability Day across the world.
